Electronic communications devices have played an increasingly significant role in business, personal and government operations since their original inception. As the requirement for increased integration of types of communications systems, such as voice, data and video, have occurred, so too has the requirement for integrated systems that allow for these devices to operate in an integrated mobile fashion, over a plurality of reachback/network systems. Traditionally, this requirement has been met by either the placement of commercially available equipment into mobile communications racks (with multiple, independent components wired together via external cables and powered individually), which can be extremely large and difficult to transport, or integrated into custom single-purpose products, which can be small and light but limited in their application. Some of these systems have offered a modest level of modularity, through the ability to add features through custom or product-specific slots.
There presently exists a need for small, highly mobile and highly modular systems allowing for communications users to take advantage of the best available reachback/network system at any given time, regardless of their location or ability to attain access to fixed communications or power sources. There also exists an increasing demand, for both commercial and government use, for the integration of various types of encryption systems into these mobile communications devices, including both stand-alone Inline Network Encryptor (INE) devices, such as the KG-175, KG-250 and KIV-54EM01, as well as secure voice/data devices like the STU-III (Secure Telephone Unit, Third Generation), STE (Secure Terminal Equipment) and SCIP (Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol) units.
There is a need for mobile, modular communications system offering standardized modules, an open-slot architecture and the ability to allow a user to configure the system on demand to meet a particular communications requirement through the use of different control, user access, computer processing, encryption support and network access modules.